Chatham field lights back on?

CHATHAM-TWP.-- It was back in September that the Board of Education approved a donation of field lights from the Chatham Athletic Boosters to be installed on a field adjacent to Cougar Field dubbed New Cougar. Now, with Chatham Township revising its lighting ordinance, the plan to light the field may be able to move forward.

The revised ordinance was introduced at the April 8 Township Committee and is scheduled for public hearing on May 13. The ordinance states in part, “Regulation of recreational/sports facility lighting for fields is necessary to prevent the cause of unnecessary sky glow, to prevent light trespass and to reduce unnecessary glare caused by inappropriate or misaligned light fixtures and/or the inappropriate location of light poles. These standards are intended to save energy and reduce costs and to preserve and protect adjacent residential neighborhoods from unnecessary lighting impacts.” The maximum height for light poles would be 85 feet, the distance from a property line to the pole would be 40 feet and trespass lighting cannot be more than 0.1 foot-candle at any adjacent residential property line at grade. The lights can be in use until 10 p.m. for games but all lights must be shut off by 10:30 p.m.

Superintendent Jim O’Neill is pleased that the township supports the project and is revising its lighting ordinance. He explained that without the revisions the project would have required a variance and now the project will be subject to a more perfunctory review. “The Boosters and the board are prepared to install lights on New Cougar and we do not believe there are any legal constraints on us doing so,” he said. “We would also be willing to negotiate with Madison putting lights on Cougar Field with usage restrictions. If they are not willing to negotiate, we can move forward with the new field.”

Both the Madison neighbors and Madison Borough took legal action against the BOE, Chatham Borough and Township and its respective planning boards last September on the proposal to light Cougar Field and won an injunction against the project. The ruling required the board to receive approval from Madison’s planning board along with the township and borough as a small portion of the field lies in Madison. It is unclear whether the legal challenges will continue with the New Cougar Field now that no part of the new field lies in Madison.

However O’Neill said that Madison’s attorney Joseph Mezzaca is contending that the judge’s ruling applies to all of the property the board owns in that area, not just Cougar Field. “We believe his ruling applied to the Cougar Field project and would not extend to land that does not lie in Madison,” he said.